BREAKING NEWS: Design

A Beige Bedroom Gets a Daring Paint Color (Plus the Coolest DIY Canopy!)

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 22:00:00 +0000

The bedroom evolved in phases. READ MORE...

Five Below Is Selling a $25 Robot Vacuum and Shoppers Are Freaking Out

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000

It has color-changing lights, too! READ MORE...

This Clever Hack Creates Instant Storage Space With a Planter and a Pizza Pan

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:15:00 +0000

Yes, a planter and nonstick pizza pan can create this! READ MORE...

How A Cleverly Converted Garage Transformed This Adelaide Family Home

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:00:03 +0000

How A Cleverly Converted Garage Transformed This Adelaide Family Home

Architecture

by Christina Karras

Heywood Ranch is a renovation by Adelaide architectural and design firm Das Studio. IKEA Dining Table. Pedrali chairs. Muuto pendant lights. Eccola carafe and glasses on dining table. Beacon Lighting surface mounted downlights.

A deck links the front yard to the new dining space.

The former garage has been transformed. Eco Outdoor Bluestone Crazy Paving flooring. Dowel Jones barstool. Alessi kettle on cooktop.

Polytec Boston Oak Timber joinery and shelf, Made Measure handles. Laminex White Linen cupboards, Linear Standard handles. CDK Mirage Lake Quartzite on island benchtop. Fibonacci The Graduate Slab terrazzo. HK Living vase. Freedom bowl.

Italia Ceramics tiles on fireplace. Jetmaster double-sided fireplace.

The kitchen has been especially designed to hide mess.

Ferm Living wallpaper. Polytec Boston Oak Timber joinery and shelf, Linear Standard handles. Artwork by Billie Justice Thompson. J Series J77 Chair from HAY.

Easycraft Easy VJ wall lining, painted Dulux Spirit. CDK Mirage Lake Quartzite splashback. Artemide wall light. Abi Interiors tapware and basin. Cibo Design mirror cabinet.

Believe it or not, the idea behind this renovation began with a ‘drunken sketch’.

Das Studio architect and creative director Sara Horstmann was having dinner at her sister Rachel’s place a few years ago, when the conversation turned to the possibility of renovating their West Beach home.

She pitched Rachel and her husband Brett a slightly unconventional idea: to convert their expansive double-garage into an open-plan living area that could unlock the extra space the family of five had been dreaming of.

Being a corner block, the property already had alternative parking spaces in a large carport tucked off the side street. Plus, the garage received the best winter sun of all rooms in the home, ‘so adapting it to take advantage of this was a clear solution from the outset’, Sara says.

‘A week later, the government announced the Covid HomeBuilder Grant,’ she adss. ‘Rach rang me to say, “We can’t stop thinking about the sketch, and the government is offering people money to build now so how about we actually do this?”’

The more formal brief asked for a fourth bedroom, a buffer between the bedrooms and living areas, an extra bathroom, and an improved kitchen — all of which was unlocked by knocking out a wall between the garage and living room to create a 60-square-metre addition. The old garage door was replaced with glass sliders that open to a walled deck area, connected to the expansive front yard where the kids often play outside.

Rather than covering over the garage’s existing, yellow-coloured brick walls, they opted to bag the brickwork in a crisp white tone, embracing this textural backdrop in the new interiors.

‘When Brett and Rach purchased the home, much of its original modernist charm had been covered over or removed, but one of the few features that remained was the delightful bluestone crazy paved front porch, so we leaned into this as our starting point,’ Sara says.

In addition to the new bluestone flooring, the kitchen showcases an island wrapped in Fibonacci terrazzo slabs topped with a beautiful Mirage Lake Quartzite bench. ‘We loved its colour and movement, similar to a stormy ocean swell,’ Sara adds.

They took a high-low approach to the remaining finishes; using cost-effective melamine for the kitchen cabinet fronts; scrapping some initial plans for joinery and turning to IKEA and Facebook Marketplace to fit out the new bedroom. In the end, the construction budget came in at $250,000.

Sara says the ‘relatively straight-forward’ renovation has completely transformed the family home. ‘I love that we were able to utilise our design skills to make their lives better, and to see the beautiful outcome of that every time we visit them — which is often, because they paid for our design services with love and home cooked meals!’

This $9 Dollar Tree DIY Makes “Super Cute” Spring Decor (It’s So Easy!)

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000

This is a DIY anyone can do. READ MORE...

I Swapped My Pricey Suitcase for This $84 Carry-On and It’s a Game Changer

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:45:00 +0000

It even survived rough handling. READ MORE...

The $35 Marshalls Find That’ll Instantly Clear Up Clutter In Every Room of Your Home

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:30:00 +0000

Nothing can wrangle clutter quite like this $35 rolling cart from Marshalls. READ MORE...

World Market Is Selling a “Perfect” Croissant Pillow (You'll Want Like 2!)

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:15:00 +0000

You’re definitely leaving the store with a full shopping basket. READ MORE...

H&M’s New Pantone Collab Has the Coolest & Most Colorful Finds (Starting at $10!)

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

From plates to vases, this is a color-lover’s dream come true. READ MORE...

How weight-loss drugs are changing the diet industry

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds when he was in his thirties to as high as 220. He spent a decade tracking calories on WeightWatchers, but the pounds he dropped always crept back onto his 5-foot-5-inch frame.

A little over a year ago, the 58-year-old Manhattan resident went on a new weight loss drug called Wegovy. He’s lost 30 pounds, and has started eating healthier food and exercising—the habits behind many commercial diet plans and decades of conventional wisdom on sustainable weight loss.

Yet Jobling’s experience also has altered his perspective on dieting. He now sees obesity as a disease that requires medical intervention, not just behavioral changes. In fact, he thinks he will need to stay on a drug like Wegovy for the rest of his life even though it has taken some of the joy out of eating.

“I don’t see how you can maintain (the weight) without medication,” Jobling said. “Obviously, it’s all about self-control. But I think it’s less of a struggle to really maintain healthy eating when you got that assistance.”

Like the lives of the people taking them, recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the U.S. health and fitness industries. They have proven successful in eliminating unwanted pounds more quickly and easily than consuming fewer and burning more calories alone. Such is their disruptive power that even established diet companies like WeightWatchers and brands like Lean Cuisine are getting makeovers.

Although celebrities like Oprah Winfrey have spoken publicly of the drugs as revolutionary, some health experts worry that businesses without any expertise will start dispensing the prescription medications along with bad advice and unproven therapies.

A demand too big to ignore

At least 3 million prescriptions for the class of medications known as GLP-1 agonists were issued each month in the U.S. during the 12 months that ended in March, according to data from health technology company IQVIA. They include semaglutide, the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, the drug in Mounjaro and Zepbound. Morgan Stanley research analysts have estimated that 24 million people, or 7% of the U.S. population, will be using GLPT-1 drugs by 2035.

The world’s leading diet programs have taken note of such statistics and incorporated the popular drugs into their existing subscription plans.

WeightWatchers, which was founded in 1963, last year acquired telehealth provider Sequence, enabling members to get prescriptions for weight-loss drugs. WeightWatchers is sticking with its focus on behavior change as the cornerstone of weight reduction but launched virtual clinics that provide customized exercise and nutrition plans, as well as prescription care, for individuals who want to lose 20% of their body weight on average.

“The weight-loss space will be led by the acknowledgement that weight loss is a matter of healthcare,” WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani told analysts earlier this year. “This is a paradigm shift because weight loss has been and, unfortunately, often still is viewed as a vanity issue.”

The Mayo Clinic, which first offered a weight management plan in book form in 1949, has published an updated version of the longtime bestseller, titled The Mayo Clinic Diet: Weight-Loss Medications Edition.

The Mayo Clinic Diet program also has expanded to include access to weight-loss drugs and advice on managing any side effects, according to Digital Wellness CEO Scott Penn, whose company developed an online platform for the original program.

The new drugs have made being very overweight “feel more medical as a condition,” he said.

Gyms and diet food companies look to muscle in

Luxury athletic club operator Life Time launched a membership program last year that offers comprehensive medical testing, personalized training, and a host of alternative therapies like cryotherapy. Members of the Miora program also can get Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs through the medical staff of a clinic that opened in Minneapolis last year.

Jeff Zwiefel, executive director of Life Time Miora, called the new drugs a “game changer” for the fitness industry.

“We have an opportunity and an obligation and a responsibility to help people achieve results in conjunction with medical providers and make sure that that’s the way to go, ” he said.

Fitness chains are banking on the idea people on the drugs will lose enough weight to overcome any self-consciousness or physical limits that kept them from exercising. The gym franchise Equinox started a new personal training program in January for prescription-holders who want to preserve or build muscle mass as they shed unwanted pounds.

The world of drug-assisted weight loss also is altering the ambitions of food companies. Sales of SlimFast, a line of meal replacement shakes and snacks sold at supermarkets, have dropped as people turn to weight-loss drugs and retailers cut shelf space for diet products, the brand’s parent company, Glanbia, told investors in February.

Since the drugs suppress the appetites of people taking them, Glanbia and other companies are marketing their products as a source of adequate nutrients for people taking GLP-1s. Swiss multinational Nestle SA thinks it can benefit from the drugs’ popularity and is expanding its Lean Cuisine frozen meals and Optifast protein shakes.

“Diets are cool again,” Nestlé SA CEO Ulf Mark Schneider told analysts in February. “It’s something that people used to do quietly on the side, uncertain about their outcomes.”

Promising results and a wealth of unknowns

Research has shown that about a third of people lose 5% or more of their body weight with diet and exercise alone, according to Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medical school. In comparison, the medicine in the diabetes drug Mounjaro helped people with obesity or who are overweight lose at least a quarter of their weight when combined with restricted calories and exercise, a new study showed.

But some experts worry about businesses marketing the drugs or serving as fitness coaches for patients on the medications. Dr. Cian Wade, a healthcare consultant for the global strategy and management firm Kearney, said he’s concerned about a proliferation of clinics that don’t have as much experience with obesity and related health conditions.

“There’s a potential worry that for some patients (the clinics) will not have the right expertise at hand to be able to appropriately manage the side effects, nutrition-related issues,” he said.

Since GLP-1 medications are so new, it’s unclear how many patients will stick with their drug regimens, which produce intolerable side effects for some people. Another reason patients may drop the drugs is cost. A month’s supply of Wegovy costs $1,300, and Zepbound is priced at $1,000.

‘The new version of me’

Lisa Donahey, 54, an actress and singer who lives in Los Angeles, started Mounjaro under a doctor’s care a year ago to address her Type 2 diabetes. At the time, Donahey, who is 5-foot-7-inches tall, weighed 260 pounds and was a veteran of diet plans like Jenny Craig, WeightWatchers and Nutrisystem.

Her weight has since dropped to a little less than 190 pounds. She goes to a gym. After always being cast as a character actor, she’s looking for new roles. Having used the medication to give her “a kick-start,” Donahey said she plans to wean herself off Mounjaro once she loses another 40 pounds.

“I had a sense of hopelessness that I was destined to be this way and just could not do it by myself,” she said. “Now, with my weight being managed and the new version of ‘me’ is emerging, I just feel so empowered, excited and hopeful.”

—By Anne D’Innocenzio, Associated Press business writer

A Lamp with No Wiring, Instead You Pop in a Rechargeable Bulb

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:04:33 +0000

This Grasp Lamp, by Danish industrial designer Thomas Albertsen, isn't really a lamp in the technical sense: Instead it's a structure to hold lighting. Which is to say, the lamp has no wiring, just a (presumably magnetic) connection point where you pop in a rechargeable LED light.

It comes in three flavors: The Grasp Garden Spear, the Grasp Wall and the Grasp Portable. All are all-weather.

Strangely, manufacturer Frandsen doesn't show the charging set-up. I wonder if it's a dock-type arrangement or a cable.

I guess the key benefit is that you can put a lamp anywhere without having to run wires, and don't need to move the entire lamp to recharge it. Overall I find the concept novel, but I'd have to live with one of these for a while to assess the true usefulness of the arrangement.

K-pop’s leading company has declared war on itself. This never-seen interview profiles the creative legend at the center of it

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:01:37 +0000

In the K-pop capital of Seoul, a high-stakes battle is unfolding. Min Hee-jin, a household name in the world of Korean music, is a celebrated creative director behind some of the biggest groups from the past two decades. Her latest, and arguably greatest, creation is a girl group called NewJeans, which she launched in 2022 under the company Hybe—the same company behind BTS.

At Hybe, Min ran both the creative and business side of her own label called ADOR, or All Doors One Room, which generated $83 million in 2023 through NewJeans’ record sales and its brand ambassadorships with both mainstream brands like Apple and Coca-Cola, and the luxury labels Chanel, Gucci, Burberry, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. The group has stood out with its retro pop songs and nostalgic visuals, and landed on “best of 2023” lists from publications including Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. (ADOR’s unprecedented accomplishments earned HYBE its spot on our 2024 Most Innovative Companies list.)

Min Hee-jin [Photo: ADOR/Hybe]

The relationship between Min and parent company Hybe, which is run by chairman Bang Si Hyuk (colloquially known as “Hitman” Bang and the impresario BTS), appeared to be mutually beneficial. But now the two are in open warfare.

Min is accusing Hybe of launching a competing girl group called ILLIT that seems to be channeling NewJeans’s sound and style. (Even the girls themselves resembled NewJeans—so much so that many commenters believed ILLIT was NewJeans during its first announcement.) “Hybe, a leading company in K-pop, is blinded by short-term profits and is mass-producing unoriginality by copying successful cultural content without hesitation,” Min’s label declared in a statement earlier this week. Hybe, meanwhile, has accused Min of attempting to spin off the label with external investors. It’s asked her to step down as CEO, and has said that it’s reporting her to the police for breach of trust. So far, she is refusing.

The battle is ongoing. Min recently held a tearful press conference in Seoul to solidify her position, where she claimed that Hybe prevented her from promoting NewJeans in the earliest days of the group. Hybe is promising to support NewJeans’ return in spite of this conflict. But it appears that Min—the most powerful woman in K-pop—could lose control of her cultural creation.

Last November, before all this came to a head, I visited the Hybe offices for an exclusive interview with Min. I was interested in speaking with Min about her untraditional entrance into the world of music: She established herself in K-pop as a graphic designer and then a creative director. The conversation, which lasted two and a half hours, was frank, wide-ranging, and sometimes emotional, as Min shared insights into how she designed one of the most popular musical acts in the world, why she believes her background in design makes her better at business, and where she dreamed that she can take K-pop next.

With the future of NewJeans uncertain, we present a lightly abridged version of the interview below.

Making the Band

So I have to admit, I’ve never been into K-pop. But . . . I love NewJeans! And I’m trying to figure out why.

With NewJeans, I was trying to target people who weren’t interested previously! I want them to become K-pop fans. The K-pop industry has traditionally been more centered on K-pop fanatics and “core fans,” but I wanted to have a group that everybody, regardless of their gender and age, could love.

Hyein, Hanni Pham, Minji, Danielle Marsh, and Haerin of NewJeans at Billboard Women In Music 2024. [Photo: Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images]

Well let’s start with the name of the group. What made you choose it?

I started off my career as a graphic designer and then I became a creative designer and now a producer. I think this background is my weapon. Because I think an image can be expressed in graphics, but also in sound. There are words that sound sophisticated and there are words that sound kind of corny or boring.

I wanted the name to be a-national, which means it could be a Korean group or U.S. group or sound like a European group. I wanted it to be gender-neutral and have less of a feminine vibe. Because even though we were creating a girl group, I wanted the team image to be cool, chill, sophisticated. The name NewJeans also has these kind of retro, vintage vibes, almost like a male rock-band name. [I also thought] it would be perfect for the Gen Zers because it sounded really straightforward and concise. I thought that if we use that kind of a name it will be very effective at tearing down psychological barriers and touching people directly.

Plus, NewJeans is a combination of two very simple words. And the simple stuff is always the best.

As the creative director at SM Entertainment, you helped create Girls’ Generation, SHINee, EXO, and Red Velvet—some of the most popular K-pop groups in history. What’s the special perspective that you bring to the industry?

I’m not a person that jumped into this industry because I loved it. I felt kind of differently about it and wanted to change it.

I wasn’t really interested in idol groups growing up because their style of music was very different from the ones that I personally preferred. If I had to pick my style, it would lean more toward indie music. I’m particularly interested in jazz.

I always had the thought that pop music was not really my thing, but I wanted to change that mindset so I joined SM. However when I started, I was just a plain employee, so I couldn’t do everything the way I wanted. I just did what I could within my role as an art director. But with each passing year, my career grew, and I became a chief creative director. But you know: artwork and music are inseparable. In order to actualize the full picture that I had in my head, I had to have my style of music. So I started to have that desire to create my type of music.

I wanted to have all of these come together: my definition of cool music, with my definition of a cool picture, with my definition of a great business. Business is, of course, important, because if you don’t make money with art, it would be kind of useless.

And with ADOR, you stepped into a role as president, where you can control all these decisions?

I wear the hats of both a producer and president. In most cases, people separate the creative side and the business side. But I thought that the two things had to be together in order to be perfect.

I believe that a great creative has to be accompanied by a business [grounding] because you have to be commercially successful for good designs and good creative to spread. And because listening has such an impact on the way people feel, the music market is bigger than the art market—and more mass-market and commercial.

But my first priority [at ADOR] wasn’t making money. I just wanted to make a lot of cool stuff and have people unable to resist falling in love with it and purchasing it—and then make money.

A New Business Plan

What did you hope to accomplish when you started ADOR?

I wanted to spread beauty—well, what seems beautiful to me.

I don’t really agree with the people who seek outside consultants when they’re running their own business. I know best about my business. It’s not that I have an MBA, but based on my 20 years of experience in this field and all the lessons that I have learned along the way, I wanted to compile that and implement it with my own label. And because I am a creator, I thought that I would be able to do business well.

It turned out to be true, because within just two months from NewJeans’ debut, we started making profit and we were able to pay the girls. This is very rare for K-pop. People are never able to guess how it happened because I’m not a composer and not a [traditional] business person. People usually straight up ask, ‘How on earth did you earn so much money?’ But for a person like me who made money through an unusual way, it’s obvious I have an unusual story. And it’s very hard for me to tell that in an easy way.

Most K-pop groups don’t come anywhere near NewJeans’ level of success. But that was by no means guaranteed. Why did you chart a different course for yourself at ADOR?

To me, my way was easier—because I didn’t understand the conventional way of doing business. Profit is all about output versus input. To me, it seemed like there was too much unnecessary input. And just cutting down on that input would solve all the problems.

NewJeans pretty quickly landed partnerships with blue-chip brands, including Apple and Coca-Cola. What was your philosophy behind those partnerships?

Those large companies don’t really pay a lot of money. I’m not saying that they paid us a little money, but there were other companies that were relatively less known that wanted to leverage us to improve their brand reputation. They were willing to offer more, but I didn’t sign with them.

If I were just to consider our short-term profit, I might want to choose the brand that is willing to offer the most money. But I don’t choose people who I work with based on the absolute amount of money that they offer; I just think about potential value. I think a lot of people make mistakes along that line. They’re very drawn to immediate money.

As for Apple and Coca-Cola, I never pitched them. My first business philosophy is to have people come to me.

You’re building demand from supply.

I knew that if I made good music and sophisticated concepts that people would want it, need it, and come to me. And I was positive that if I make something that I like and am satisfied with, other people will want to have it too. I felt that most people were thinking less of the essence [of what they were building], and were more obsessed with knowing how to make products sell fast and how to trick people into believing that this was attractive. My philosophy was not to trick myself.

I put a lot of effort and thought into creating good quality, good essence. I thought that if I could just focus more on creating the best essence, it would make my life easier with the second part, [the business]. To me it felt like other people were doing it the other way around. And this felt like an opportunity to me.

It’s interesting how, with NewJeans, brand partnerships are not just a money-making enterprise. They are an expression that’s fundamental to the group’s identity. For example, NewJeans plopped bunny ears on the Apple logo—marking the first time such a thing had ever been done with the protected trademark.

[Image: Apple]

Apple was completely fine with [having its logo amended], because we had it so well-designed. A lot of people ask me how we got Apple to let us use their logo. I just told them my idea, and they believed it.

Before we launched NewJeans, my moving from SM to Hybe made the news because I was going to a competitor. I used that hype to my advantage. I accomplished a lot of things when I was at SM, and I left because I was not really satisfied with my life there. But I’m not saying that I came here because I love this company; I needed a place where I could actualize my vision.

What made me feel kind of good was, some luxury brands, even before we had the news out about NewJeans—just when they were aware of the fact that I was going to create a girl group—they came up to me for a deal. To me it was kind of proof that I did my job well until now, because these luxury brands had faith in me. I’m very grateful for that.

K-pop fans seem to take brand ambassadorships so personally.

There’s a war between boy bands and girl groups in Korea over whose ambassadorship is more high-end. It’s very weird. And how childish is this, fighting over whose brand is better?

A Sound Economy

I wonder how you think about interactivity. We’ve talked a lot about music, but entertainment today is beyond multimodal. There’s social media, apps…it feels like we’re at a time of convergence where everything’s mixing and blending.

To me, everything that’s going on with social media is like different ways of enjoying music. I’m most interested in the essence, and less and all the other methods and different stuff surrounding that. So if you start to make music with TikTok and Reels in mind, the music will turn out to be too light-hearted and there will be too many restrictions. I think if you could just put out good stuff, people will find what they are looking for.

[The NewJeans hit] Super Shy is a song with repetitive verses and [doesn’t have] a really strong hook. It’s almost like Justin Bieber’s Peaches. Since it’s a repetitive song, people were asking whether we were targeting for that song to become a hit on Shorts, but that’s not the case. I just let the song be the way it had to be.

For most K-pop songs there’s always an intro and then the climax and the tension relieves again, because people think that having loops is boring. There have to be different types of music! Yet everybody wants to make a song that follows the traditional rules of a hit song.

How do you source the songs themselves?

We buy songs from different composers. We just give them a brief guidance about a concept. We don’t push them to make a hit song or give them really detailed directions to follow. We just leave them to make the music that they can really make best.

You have to let the composers do what they want to do. And I don’t really believe in stitching together different parts from different songs, I just want to use the song in its entirety. There is a reason why we have composers make the songs! Sometimes we’ll adjust the top line, but we never go as far to damage the real intention of the song, because in that case, there is no reason to use that song in the first place.

I try to collect as many good songs as possible, and then I curate the songs after. That way we can have another layer of refinement, have it organized once more. These days people use the word producer kind of interchangeably as a composer. I’m a producer, but I don’t make songs. I plan strategies.

Today you see a lot of musicians who have spun out to become creative directors, who have fashion lines and other endeavors, but you don’t see the reverse happen as much.

Actually, to me, creative direction comes second [and the music comes first]. I need creative directing to highlight the music that I want to share with other people.

Do you still listen to jazz?

My favorite type of music is the jazzy-lounge type. I listen to all types of genres, but my favorite musician is Astrud Gilberto.

She pulls out her iPhone, and plays The Girl from Ipanema.

I cried after listening to this song for the first time when I was 8 years old. The reason why this song has a special meaning to me was because it was the first jazz song to be number one on the Billboard charts. And jazz music isn’t typically on the top of the Billboard charts, right? This became a real inspiration to me. It gave me hope that my type of music, or the type of music that I was trying to do, could be number one as well.

When I’m really stressed out and exhausted I’ll just play these favorite songs from my childhood, and I feel my mind forgetting about all of those complicated things that I have hanging over my head. I go back to why I started this thing in the first place, and what made my heart race when I was young. It’s very difficult to put in words but I can feel that energy that comes when people put their everything into a song. And I feel that with this song. So what they did is inspiring to me, living in a completely different country, in a completely different generation. I think this is the power of creation.

I want to make NewJeans’s music so that it will still sound really beautiful after 10, 20 years. You never throw away your favorite pair of jeans—your favorite pair of clothing you can wear every single day. I think the kind of clothes that you can wear every single day are like pop music.

You’ve said that you want to create music that you love, but it feels like the music you deeply love is not necessarily commercial music.

The songs that I love, they might not be famous, but they always have that something that gives them the potential. I think I have the ear to identify that in songs.

I recommend a lot of songs on my Instagram. And about 90% of the songs that I recommend are not that famous. But if you listen to it, you will know that every single one of those songs has that special something that could make them a hit song. I really love finding those hidden gems and sharing them with the world. Because there’s so many great things out there in the world, but only a very small part of it is introduced to the pop scene.

Looking Ahead

You’re so focused on NewJeans, but I assume with ADOR that you plan to work with multiple bands as your ultimate goal. You also executive produced the debut album from BTS’s V,

Revolutionary Inflatable Space Station Design Provides "More Volume, Less Cost"

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:30:43 +0000

Space may be infinite, but it has the same problem we do on Earth: Not enough housing. Builders of space habitats are constrained by shipping capacity. While rocket launches have become cheaper and more frequent, there are only so many building materials you can cram into the payload. "For example, the ISS took more than 40 flights," writes Max Space, "and cost more than $100 billion to build. Max Space can provide the equivalent cubic volume of the ISS in space for $200 million—including launch—bringing the cost down by over a hundred-fold."

Company founder Maxim de Jong, a pioneer of "soft system space architecture," is the world's premier expert on using expandable materials in space. (Two experimental expanding-material spacecraft of his design, Genesis I and Genesis II, have been orbiting the planet since 2006 and 2007.) Here's how his latest design, the Max Space 20, would deploy:

Here are some shots of the full-scale ground prototype:

"Max Space expandables use an entirely unique design approach and philosophy. Our expandables incorporate 'isotensoid' architecture whereby every structural fiber element remains unencumbered and free to assume an ideal geometry for optimum load-bearing capability. The benefits of the Max Space design are enormous ranging from lowest possible mass and cost to unsurpassed predictability and unlimited scalability. Despite the conceptual simplicity of the Max Space design, the challenges of its practical implementation were overcome by the lifelong relentlessness of founder Maxim de Jong's design acumen."

As for weathering impacts from space debris, the company says their material is "safer and stronger than traditional hard modules. This is largely due to the architecture composed of a multi-layered system of fiber-based ballistic shielding of much greater resilience than aluminum and titanium."

The Max Space 20 is so named because it provides 20 cubic meters (706 cubic feet) of interior space. That's a far cry from the ISS' habitable volume of 388 cubic meters (13,696 cubic feet), but the company can't pass the battery of required testing hurdles all in one go; so the plan is to launch the 20 unit in 2026, followed in the next four years by the Max Space 100 and Max Space 1000, the latter of which will properly dwarf the ISS.

"More volume, less cost" is the company's motto. Here's their pitch:

This Mid-Century-Modern-Style Phoenix Apartment Rents for $1,275 a Month

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Tour this 650-square-foot, one-bedroom rental apartment in Phoenix that has "mid-century modern eclectic grandma" vibes. READ MORE...

Form Follows Function: Stange Glasses for Kölsch Beer

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:35:34 +0000

In the UK, where drinking warm beer was a thing, pint glasses were an appropriate vessel for centuries. In 20th century Germany, a new type of beer vessel evolved along with the technology of refrigeration: The stange, which translates to "pole" or "rod," as that's what the narrow-but-tall vessel resembled.

Stangen are used to serve Cologne's Kölsch style of beer, which is best imbibed cold; thus the glasses hold just 100-200mL (3.4 – 6.8 oz), allowing you to get it down your gullet before the room warms it up. The narrow design exposes a minimal amount of beer to the ambient air, and also allows a frothy head to form.

The emergence of these glasses also spawned a new product design for beer hall servers. The kranz ("wreath") tray made it far easier to whisk loads of the diminutive glasses to thirsty customers.

A Designer Transforms a “Pukey Green” Home Office into a Peppy Pink Library

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:30:00 +0000

Fit for an internet-famous bookstagrammer and mom! READ MORE...

Giada De Laurentiis Broke this Major Kitchen Decor “Rule” (It’s So Pretty!)

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:15:00 +0000

She went the extra mile with this detail. READ MORE...

Marble, Oak, and Openness: A Modern Home’s Ode to Nature

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:15:00 +0000

In a seamless blend of elegance and serenity, this modern home by Mariya Chmut stands as a tribute to the splendor of the natural world. Expansive windows frame the ever-changing canvas of the outdoors, inviting a dance of light and shadow across the rich textures within. High ceilings command the space, lending an air of majesty, while clean lines trace the architectural precision of the design. Here, the luxurious touch of marble meets the earthy strength of oak, crafting an interior that breathes openness and refined tranquility—a living space where every element is meticulously curated to exist in harmony with nature.

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Japanese Bamboo Spice Vessels, Both Traditional and Modern

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:01:49 +0000

This object might baffle Westerners visiting Japan:

To give you some context, you'd find it in a traditional noodle shop.

It's an old-school spice vessel, invented prior to blowmolding. They often hold shichimi (a spice blend) and are easily made with local materials. The body is simply a bamboo stalk. The cork is a piece of wood that's been tapered, and the plug is a smaller piece of bamboo.

Modern versions are machine-made and jointed like woodwork, but still made of bamboo.

These newer versions obviously require a lot more manufacturing steps, and don't make sense versus the older version—until you consider that Japan's economy traditionally prioritized keeping people employed over profit.

The traditional ones are about 4 bucks, the newer ones, $7.

People Are Buying Target’s “Cute” $6 Cups in Every Style (It’s a Summer Must-Have)

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5 Tips for Easy Residential Dumpster Rentals

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When embarking on home renovation projects or cleaning out clutter from your living space, finding a straightforward solution for waste management is crucial. That’s where ...

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Expert Advice: Steps to Repair Water Pump Effectively

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What You Should Know About New Construction Plumbing

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:40:24 +0000

In an attempt to set forth the project of creating a bespoke residential abode or a commercial enterprise that is teeming with life, it would require careful attention at the strategic center of different pivotal […]

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I Asked My Mail Carrier for Advice on Organizing Mail, and This Is What He Said

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The Complete Guide To Trenchless Water Line Replacement

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:17:32 +0000

The prospect of excavating a broken sewer line, installing a new one, and then dealing with the aftermath of the disruption is a daunting scenario for both plumbers and property owners alike. Undergoing a water […]

The post The Complete Guide To Trenchless Water Line Replacement appeared first on Architecture Art Designs.

This Michigan company has personalized first-round NFL draftees’ jerseys for years

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0000

Employees of the company tasked each year with rapidly personalizing jerseys for each first-round NFL draft pick as they are announced don’t need to travel very far for this year’s player selections in Detroit.

Stahls’ headquarters in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, sits 17 miles from the stage where NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will inform players—and the world—that they have been selected by an NFL franchise.

“The draft coming back to Detroit is extra special for us,” said Brent Kisha, the company’s vice president of strategic sales.

The Stahls’ team has less than two minutes, from the moment each pick is made until Goodell greets him, to personalize the jerseys backstage in the Nike jersey room at the NFL Draft Theater.

The draft gets underway Thursday at Campus Martius Park downtown. It marks the 13th year the apparel decoration technology, software, and equipment manufacturer has worked behind the scenes at the draft.

Stahls’ took on heat-pressing duties in 2012, quickly affixing top pick Andrew Luck’s surname to an Indianapolis Colts jersey in New York. Since then, the company’s team has traveled to drafts held in Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and now its hometown.

“Historically, the jerseys only had a ‘No. 1,’ so putting a person’s name on it was like magic to the fans,” Kisha said Monday. “‘Wow, this pick comes in, and we have literally less than two minutes to put the name on the back of the jersey. How do you do it?’

“The heat press is the secret sauce that enables us to be able to react to the actual pick itself,” he said.

That “secret sauce” is a Hotronix Fusion IQ heat press, a machine that features a high-resolution touch screen controller and is used by custom apparel businesses.

Stahls’ personalizes two jerseys for each draft pick, including one handed to the player onstage and another that is used as part of his rookie playing card pack.

Stahls’ creates nameplates for every potential in-person first-round draftee in all 32 NFL teams’ fonts and colors. And it will have eight jerseys per team on hand, in case there are day-of trades.

The company was born in the garage of A.C. Stahl and his wife, Ethel, in 1932. Initially known as Commercial Art Products, Stahls’ now is a licensee and supplier to the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. The privately-held company has about 1,000 employees in North America, most of whom are based in Michigan.

Four, including Kisha, will be on name-affixing duty come Thursday.

“It sounds like, ‘Oh, man, that’s cool.’ And it is really cool. I’m very honored that I’ve been able to do it for Nike and the team for many years,” Kisha said. “But every year, in the beginning, until that first jersey goes on the stage, you’ve got butterflies.”

—By Mike Householder, Associated Press

13 Budget Items That Make Your Bedroom Look More Luxurious

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:15:45 +0000

Using inexpensive items to make your bedroom look better is just a matter of choosing the right items that can elevate the aesthetics and comfort of the space. From elegant bedding to decorative accents, these simple elements can transform your bedroom into a lavish retreat. By focusing on adding just a few inexpensive items that exude opulence and style, you can achieve a high end look in your bedroom without exceeding your budget.

Creating an expensive and luxurious bedroom is not always about spending money; it is more about developing a strategy or mindset for selecting the right items and making the most of what you already have.

Layer Your Bedding

Amy Fox Interiors

Incorporating layers in your bedding is a sure and easy way to make your bedroom more comfortable and give the design more depth. Start with high-quality sheets. For the most comfortable sleep, choose natural fiber sheets such as cotton, bamboo, or linen. For the top layer, use a comforter or duvet. Bring in a quilt or other large blanket to cover the end of the bed. To add interest to your bed’s style, select an option with an interesting texture or pattern.

Bedding can be expensive, but you can spend less by shopping end-of-season sales and clearance racks. Save money by purchasing your linens over time; good linens last, so there is no need to rush and buy everything at once.

Add Plush Throw Pillows

Tina Marie Interior Design

Throw pillows that are plump and soft are an excellent way to add a luxurious look to your bedroom. Designers style throw pillows by purchasing throw pillow insets that are one size larger than the pillow covers, making them appear extra plump. Choose feather, down, or down-alternative insets for pillows that drape in just the right way.

Plump your pillows on a daily basis to redistribute the filling and keep them full and in shape. Give your pillows a slight karate chop in the middle to create a small indentation; this trick mimics a professional styling technique for making your bed look “lived-in” and comfortable.

Wall Sconces

JV Design

Adding wall sconces above your nightstands will add both style and function to your bedroom. This creates a high-end, custom look, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Look for wall sconces that mimic the look of expensive sconce styles that you love. Many home improvement stores, online retailers, and vintage stores sell sconces at a reasonable price.

Consider wall sconces that plug-in rather than require hardwiring. You can cover the cord with wall cord covers that you can paint the same color as the wall. Most experts recommend placing wall sconces either above the nightstands or over each side of the headboard. This will depend on the style, how you use the light, and the adjustability of the wall sconces. Look for sconces with adjustable arms for the most flexibility in light placement.

Make Your Bed Daily

The Brooklyn Studio

One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to improve the appearance of your bedroom is to keep it clean and organized. Because your bed is the focal point of the room, making it on a daily basis is essential for a room that looks and feels more organized. To maintain this strategy, you must be consistent, so incorporate it into your daily routine.

Set aside a specific time each day to make your bed, such as when you first wake up, after you shower, or right before you leave the house. Before you begin, clear the bed of any pillows and other small items. Smooth out your sheets and pull them tight. Straighten the top duvet or quilt and fold it at the top to give it a decorative flourish. Plump your pillows and top them with your throw pillows.

Display Shelves

Richard Massa Architect

Adding display shelves above your bed is a good way to personalize and improve the functionality of your bedroom. Select a shelf that complements the style and colors of your bedroom. Plan the height of your shelf so that it is both attractive and functional. Ensure that the shelf does not interfere with your headboard or hit your head when you lean back, but is still easily accessible.

Shelves are ideal above headboards because they allow you to mix and match different types of decor to create interest and texture, and then change them out when you want a new look. Consider items such as books, pictures, candles, plants, and decorative three dimensional pieces. Arrange them in a visually appealing manner with regard to symmetry, balance, and spacing.

Decorative Headboard

Danielle Rose Design Co.

A bed is an expensive piece of furniture, but you can save money by simply using a headboard with a standard metal bed frame. You can either attach the headboard to the frame or affix it to the wall if the sizes or the attachments are incompatible.

Choose a headboard style that complements the decor and style of your room. Consider upholstered, wooden, or DIY designs made with reclaimed materials. You can also repurpose existing items, such as a tapestry or large textile, to create the look of a headboard.

Add More Houseplants

Jette Creative

Houseplants brighten and refresh any room, and there are simple ways to incorporate plants into your bedroom decor. Start with small-sized plants. This will save you money and allow you to determine which plants are best suited to your space before investing in larger, more expensive options. Select low-maintenance plants such as snake plants, pothos, zz plants, spider plants, and succulents.

Seek advice from plant-loving neighbors and friends. Most plant enthusiasts are willing to share advice and cuttings to help you get your miniature nursery started. Check out end-of-season sales to get plants at a discounted price.

Layer Your Rugs

Rugs can be expensive additions to any room. Layering rugs allows you to create an opulent look while spending less money. Layering allows you to purchase a smaller rug of a higher quality and make it appear larger with a base layer.

Choose an inexpensive base rug with a flatweave made of cotton, wool, or another natural fiber such as jute or sisal. Place a smaller rug on top to add some fun color or personality to your bedroom. You can also add extra rug layers in specific areas of your room, such as a pair of sheepskin rugs on the sides of the bed, to provide a comfortable landing spot for your feet in the morning.

Introduce a Statement Ceiling Light

Beau Clowney Architects

One lighting feature that can make an impressive impact in a bedroom is the overhead lighting. Choose a lighting fixture that amplifies the style of the bedroom. These light features help create a central focal point for the bedroom that can give your bedroom a unique look without any expensive renovations. Options include everything from mid-century Sputnik style to glam chandeliers and pendants. Put the overhead light on a dimmer switch, which will allow you to control the mood of the room better. While this lighting element provides valuable ambient light for the room, be sure to layer other lighting on nightstands or side tables to make the room more functional.

Painted Architectural Accents

Lanny Nagler Photography

Paint is a simple way to freshen up your walls, ceiling, and molding. You can also use paint to replicate more custom architectural accents, such as molding, or to create your own headboard. Choose a color to use for your decorative accents. Shades of blue, green, browns, and soft reds are currently popular because they mimic natural colors and make a home feel more comfortable and cozy. Colors such as blue and green are especially soothing in the bedroom.

Organize Your Nightstand

Chango

Cleaning and styling your nightstand can make your bedroom appear cleaner and more expensive simply by reducing visual clutter. By keeping the nightstand tidy and organized, you create a sense of calm and spaciousness in the room.

Arrange the items you do want on your nightstand in a way that is visually captivating as well as useful. Choose items that you will need during your nighttime routine, such as a book or a glass of water, as well as items that make you happy, such as a vase of greenery or flowers.

Add Seating

Sims Hilditch

Seating in the bedroom provides a place for relaxation besides the bed for reading and resting, as well as a handy place to perch while putting on shoes and last minute wardrobe touches. Consider seating types according to the space you have and the type of seating you want. Choose among options like an upholstered bench, a small loveseat, an accent chair, or a set of stylish poufs or stools.

Seating can not just add to the functionality of the room; it can also enhance the texture and color of the room. Look for seating with decorative fabrics that support the style you want or that utilizes interesting textured materials that add to the variety of the room.

Upgrade the Furniture You Have

Werner Straube

Even if you don’t have the necessary cash to buy new items, you can still update the look of your bedroom by giving your furniture a new look. Paint your furniture a new color and update the hardware on your dresser or nightstand. Simple changes, like adding new hardware sporting gold or brass finishes, can elevate even the most simple bedroom styles. With some basic DIY skills and a small investment, you can instantly add color and sparkle to your bedroom.

The post 13 Budget Items That Make Your Bedroom Look More Luxurious appeared first on Homedit.

This popular women’s sports bar in Portland is bringing its winning formula to other cities

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Two years ago, Jenny Nguyen launched a Kickstarter with modest hopes of raising just enough money to open a women’s sports bar in Portland, OR. But the first-of-its-kind establishment, the Sports Bra, has become so wildly popular that, this week, Reddit co-founder (and Angel City Football Club co-owner) Alexis Ohanian announced he’s backing a plan to expand the concept around the country—and possibly around the world.

Sports Bra founder Jenny Nguyen [Photo: StarChefs]

“I had this idea,” says Nguyen, a former college basketball player and professional chef. “I felt like it could work, but you never really know.”

Work it has. A squib about The Sports Bra on Eater just days after the Kickstarter launched in February 2022 sent contributions soaring from $2,550 to $49,000 in under a week. The month-long campaign topped out at $105,000, twice what Nguyen had been hoping for. When the bar, which is in Portland’s Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood, opened in April that year, lines for the 40-seater were out the door, and revenues reached nearly $1 million in the first eight months.

Now, with an undisclosed investment from Ohanian’s 776 Foundation, Nguyen plans to franchise the concept, bringing it to other markets with strong women’s sports fans—under the guidance of owners who, like Nguyen, are invested in building community around female athletics.

“I first reached out to Jenny when the Bra went viral,” says Ohanian, who’s been on the forefront of understanding how women’s sports—and all aspects of its ecosystem—is a growing business opportunity. “The timing feels perfect.”

A BAR OF ONE’S OWN

The Sports Bra [Photo: Shannon Dupre]

The Bra is more than just another bar. It’s a space that simply hasn’t existed before, for a community that’s never had a place of its own. Sports bars are overwhelmingly male. TVs show almost nothing but men’s sports. Ask a bartender to put on a women’s game, and you’re as likely to get a sneer as deference. Women and LGBTQ people don’t always feel at home. “Sometimes, I’d get accosted in the bathroom because people thought I was in the wrong restroom,” Nguyen says.

The Bra has created a space where fans of women’s sports can celebrate their enthusiasm together. The concept struck such a chord that before the Bra even opened, people elsewhere were reaching out to Nguyen, asking how to set one up in their own communities. National coverage from outlets like CNBC, Vogue, and the New York Times (and in international publications from Canada to New Zealand) has fueled even more interest.

“It’s clear that this needs to happen in more cities,” Nguyen says. “People [from elsewhere] who have read every article, listened to every podcast [interview], who’ve seen all the pictures—they still come in and cry,” Nguyen says. “They feel incredible amounts of joy, representation, and belonging.”

The Bra’s launch dovetails with a larger cultural and business shift around women’s sports. Old ideas about fans not being interested in female athletes are blowing up in the face of record attendance at women’s games, growing investor interest in women’s teams, and more media coverage than ever.

The ESPN viewership numbers around this month’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament provided the latest evidence of skyrocketing demand. The matchup between rivals Iowa University and Louisiana State University (homes of celebrated players Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese) drew more eyeballs than any single NHL, MLS, or MLB game last year—including every single game in the World Series.

“The needs of women’s sports fans haven’t changed,” Nguyen says. But “they haven’t had the space to exercise their fandom in the way that so many people, mostly men, have had in the way of a sports bar.”

EXPANSION PLANS

[Photo: Dorothy Wang]

The Bra is taking a franchise approach to expansion. Each new bar will be set up and run by a local owner. But instead of taking an inside-out approach—where the Bra would identify target markets and search for local franchisees—they’re going outside-in. The goal of spreading the model isn’t so much financial as mission-based. “It brings so much joy to people,” Nguyen says. “If we don’t create these spaces elsewhere, it feels almost selfish.”

They’ll soon start accepting applications from interested potential owners and assess them based on how well they understand their local community and how closely they align with the Bra’s values. “We’re choosing people,” Nguyen says, “community builders who are super-authentic.”

For Ohanian, this isn’t a venture play. Food and drink in the hospitality industry are notoriously challenging. There are no expectations of 100x returns.

Rather, Ohanian is backing the expansion through his foundation, which was launched in 2022 to combat inequity around the globe. The terms and dollar amount of the partnership are still under wraps, but Ohanian says any returns will be funneled into programs supporting girls’ and women’s sports.

Still, Ohanian says he could tell early on that the Bra had identified an important unmet need. A self-described “average sports fan” growing up (and certainly before his marriage to the world’s most accomplished tennis player), Ohanian pinpointed professional women’s sports back in 2019 as a massively undervalued business opportunity. The next year, he co-founded Angel City FC, the Los Angeles franchise of the National Women’s Soccer League, which is now reportedly worth $200 million.

The Bra, he says, is the “physical embodiment” of the burgeoning excitement around women’s sports. These kinds of spaces, where people can watch their favorite teams and games together, will be a key part of the ecosystem. “Do I want to make sure we have a Sports Bra franchise in Los Angeles close to the stadium for Angel City fans? Of course,” he says, adding that he’d recently evangelized the concept to other NWSL owners at a board of governors meeting.

“It’s the perfect time for these offline community spaces to spring up,” Ohanian says. “[Nguyen] is the exact right person to be doing it, with the right intentions, and the right execution.”

Indeed, Nguyen says a Sports Bra probably wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago, due to the dearth of women’s sports on TV at the time. “The Sports Bra is a lot bigger than just the four walls of a bar and restaurant,” she says. “It’s part of a movement. We’re just looking at the tip of the iceberg.”

Le Clos Villa by Bancaù Architectes in Mouans – Sartoux, France

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:15:53 +0000

Project: Le Clos Villa Architects: Bancaù Architectes Location: Mouans – Sartoux, France Area: 1,991 sf Year: 2023 Le Clos Villa by Bancaù Architectes This captivating project embraces the Mediterranean spirit. Sun-baked stone walls, a signature […]

The post Le Clos Villa by Bancaù Architectes in Mouans – Sartoux, France appeared first on Architecture Art Designs.

Inside the making of the world’s longest cantilever

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:30:00 +0000

Few aspects of architecture are as dramatic as the cantilever, a rigid structural element that extends horizontally, unsupported at one end, from a building. It’s the closest an edifice can come to flying.

Arguably the world’s most famous cantilever belongs to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Fallingwater, whose room-size concrete balconies float mesmerizingly over a waterfall in Bear Run, Pennsylvania.

“I want you to live with the waterfall, not just to look at it, but for it to become an integral part of your lives,” Wright told his clients, the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh.

As technology has evolved, cantilevers have grown longer and longer. Almost like a skyscraper height war, turned on its side. The longest, as of this February (unseating the Instagram-favorite Marina Bay Sands Skypark in Singapore by about three feet), is located in Dubai, a city full of superlatives that also boasts the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), the world’s tallest observation wheel (Ain Dubai), the world’s largest fountain (Dubai Fountain), and the world’s longest urban zip line (Xline Dubai Marina), among others.

[Photo: Hufton + Crow]

The new horizontal champion belongs to One Za’abeel, a glassy, two-towered development in the emirate’s financial district containing a One&Only resort, luxury residences, offices, dining, retail, and leisure. Floating 328 feet in the air between the offset, pinstriped towers is a three-story-tall, 755-foot-long, glass-clad structure known as The Link. The cantilever projects a dizzying 217 feet from the taller tower, turning the two towers into an extended “H.”

As the name suggests, The Link connects the vertical development with about 10 chandelier-filled restaurants, a connector called the ”Bridge of Love,” and a partially glass-bottomed bar and events venue called Sphere, in the cantilevered section. The developer calls it “the boulevard of the future.” On its roof is the UAE’s longest infinity pool.

[Photo: Hufton + Crow]

Giving visitors the sense of floating over the city with no visible support (One Za’abeel also spans a multilane highway), The Link is in fact supported by a structural system made of steel framing arranged in a tubular diamond grid (diagrid) pattern along four sides, creating a continuous, column-free interior. Weighing over 9,000 tons, The Link was built on site then lifted and attached in two phases (main structure, then cantilever) over 12 days. One Za’abeel’s two towers (reaching 1,000 and 770 feet, respectively) were each built on a slight lean to accommodate The Link’s heft. The development’s base contains more public space: The Podium, a three-story area filled with stores, restaurants, and greenery.

[Photo: Hufton + Crow]

The project’s architect, Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei, boasts quite a few challenging structures in its portfolio, including Tokyo Tower (a fraternal twin of the Eiffel Tower), Tokyo Skytree (the world’s tallest broadcast tower), and the Hoki Museum, whose upper gallery cantilevers 98 feet over its forested site in Chiba, Japan.

One Za’abeel, says Nikken Sekkei’s chief architect for the project, Koko Nakamura, was a logical extension of those efforts, requiring the coordination of a phalanx of technologies, including digital structural analysis, multiple architectural softwares, structural wind reports, Building Information Modeling, pedestrian simulation software, and physical models at various scales. Nakamura likes to call the development’s H shape a “gateway to the city,” visible from the airport, and dividing Dubai’s old town and new downtown. The Link, he adds, points toward the Arabian Gulf, like a giant sign.

[Photo: Hufton + Crow]

Hakan Ozkasikci, Executive Vice President of Design & Technical Services at Kerzner International, the project’s operator, thinks The Link might pioneer a bold approach for cities, “where building ecosystems can be generated on multiple levels, giving them larger building areas compared to their footprints,” he says.

[Photo: Hufton + Crow]

It’s an exciting thought. And while practical considerations will always be part of the equation, cantilevers, no matter how long, are really about emotion.

“The cantilever is about defying gravity, an element of surprise that creates a striking contrast in the built environment,” the late architect Zaha Hadid once said. Fellow starchitect Santiago Calatrava called it “an expression of the spirit of architecture; of the will to challenge conventional ideas and transcend them.”

This magical sponge furniture grows when you dunk it in water

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:15:00 +0000

First, you could grow a boyfriend. Now you can give him a place to sit—by growing him a chair.

Industrial design students from ÉCAL University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland, developed a collection of tables, chairs, and other home decor that plays on everyone’s favorite ’90s toy. Called UPS, for “Under Pressure Solutions,” the experimental furniture is made from cellulose sponge, a biodegradable material made of wood residues. The objects expand from a nondescript dry sponge into a full-size piece of furniture when wet.

[Photo: Jasmine Deporta/courtesy ÉCAL]

“The development of prototypes, based on numerous experiments that were carried out beforehand, highlighted the material’s versatility and strength, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable alternative for furniture production,” the school said in a statement.

[Photo: Marvin Merkel/courtesy ÉCAL]

Inspired by Gaetano Pesce’s “UP5 chair,” the team from ÉCAL designed the collection over two years and presented it at Milan Design Week. According to the school, the UPS pieces grow up to 10 times in size when submerged.

[Photo: Marvin Merkel/courtesy ÉCAL]

Among the pieces presented at Milan Design Week were a chair, pot, lampshade, wine rack, stool, vase, floating bookshelf, and a coffee table that held a glass top. Put it all together and Ken’s got his very own grow-your-own dream house.

This simple solution could finally get rid of plastic six-pack rings

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Beverage brands have been trying to develop sustainable, cardboard multi-pack packaging for years now. But like the ill-fated paper straw, these paperboard packs tend to face a functionality problem: they disintegrate too quickly when exposed to liquid (which, no surprise, tends to happen often).

Now, North Carolina-based packaging equipment, materials, and engineering company Atlantic Packaging is releasing a more durable cardboard beverage holder designed to hold up to the cold ones it’s carrying.

The “Fishbone C-Clip,” as the company calls it, updates its earlier paper-based carrier by adding a second carrier layer to protect against lost tension or exposure to moisture, and seals the packaging with a water-based barrier coating that the company says is recyclable and compostable. According to Atlantic Packaging, the original design this model is based off of was the first completely recyclable paperboard beverage container on the market.

[Photo: Fishbone]

“Traditional plastic ring beverage carriers have long been problematic for our natural world and contribute to direct entanglement or ingestion threats to land and water-based species,” Atlantic Packaging President Wes Carter said in a statement. “The Fishbone C-Clip provides a sustainable alternative and technical design that is both reliable and durable.”

Legislation banning plastic rings has been introduced in Delaware, New York, and Rhode Island, but increasingly, companies aren’t waiting on lawmakers to act.

AB InBev (the parent company of Anheuser-Busch), Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Molson Coors are among the beverage companies that have announced their intentions to do away with plastic rings as part of broader sustainability efforts.

The second layer doesn’t just make the sustainable choice a more functional one—it’s also more space for branding. The cardboard component folds down the side of the can pack, giving the brand additional visual real estate.

But ultimately, increased durability means increased functionality—and one less reason for consumers to choose plastic for their next party.

Have we reached peak dumbphone yet?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

Gen Z is sick of smartphones—and big brands are starting to catch on.

For the past several years, “dumbphones”—’90s-inspired phones with pared-back features—have gradually gained traction. Plenty of smaller manufacturers offer their own versions of dumbphones, and the trend has even recently inspired a subgenre on YouTube dedicated to helping viewers convert their smartphones into DIY dumbphones.

While cautious parents and technophiles have already caught on to dumbphones, it looks like the trend is now hitting the mainstream. In an unexpected collaboration revealed last week, beer brand Heineken and clothing store Bodega created the Boring Phone, a dumbphone “with no features, but with tons of swag.”

[Photo: courtesy Heineken/Bodega]

Designed for understimulation

The Boring Phone is an ode to Y2K aesthetics with its translucent outer hardware, flip screen, and green accents. According to Andrey Tyukavkin, executive creative director of LePub, the branding agency behind the campaign, the phone was designed to “deliver the basics for a great night out,” like texting and calling, without any of the distractions that come from a smartphone.

[Photo: courtesy Heineken/Bodega]

The Boring Phone is an exaggeration of a dumbphone you might actually buy. The phone has an email app that has no memory to receive actual emails. “Thus making space for your social life,” Tyukavkin says. Other apps are little tricks to get you back to socializing, like a taxi app that encourages users to talk to a bartender, or a version of the classic game Sanke that pushes people back to the party they are at. “Other features include a torch, calendar, FM radio, and alarm. Just a few years back this was all we needed for a night out, right?” Tyukavkin says.

These “apps” are really just conversation starters, and that’s fine. The Boring Phone doesn’t need to really work. Heineken and Bodega created only 5,000 units, and they’re planning to distribute them through competitions rather than making them available for sale.

[Photo: courtesy Heineken/Bodega]

The rise of the dumbphone

There are plenty of functional dumbphones on the market, and people seem to be buying them. In the past year, existing dumphone brands like Light Phone and dumbwireless have reported major spikes in demand, especially from younger buyers. HMD, the manufacturer behind Nokia, doubled its flip phone sales from 2022 to 2023, and is projecting greater returns this year. The reemergence of the dumbphone coincides with growing fears about the impact of social media on teens’ mental health, as well as a rising dependence on smartphones post-pandemic.

The Light Phone II [Photo: Light Phone]

In a 2023 report, researchers from the nonprofit organization Common Sense found that the average teen receives around 237 notifications per day and spends about 4.5 hours on their smartphone. Respondents reported struggling to manage their own smartphone use, despite its negative impacts on sleep and focus. A notable group of interviewees mentioned trying to control the impulse to check their phones using features like “do not disturb” or silencing notifications.

Many critics have drawn connections between the ongoing youth mental health crisis and social media use, though the cause and effect isn’t always clear. Last October, 33 states levied a lawsuit against the tech conglomerate Meta, accusing the company of damaging young peoples’ mental health by purposefully designing features that keep them hooked to their apps.

Heineken and Bodega conducted their own research to find out how Zillennials (a combination of Gen Z and millennials) of legal drinking age in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Italy engage with smartphones in social settings. Some 90% of survey respondents across the U.K. and U.S. admitted to doomscrolling while socializing. More than a third said they checked their phones more often than they should while socializing, and 38% said they would consider switching off their phone or leaving it at home in the future.

Tyukavkin believes Gen Zers are increasingly embracing the dumbphone movement because of their relationship with technology. “Gen Z doesn’t see tech the way other generations do,” he says. “The world in general is made to think that everything is constantly improving, and everyone needs to upgrade/catch up, but Gen Z have a better overview of technology—both old and new—to see what tech is actually doing for their life.”

Like all marketing endeavors, the Boring Phone is meant to serve as a direct reflection of current culture. What does this mean for the future of dumbphones? If the trend toward ’90s-era technology continues, Gen Z could wield enormous influence over how major technology giants think about the design of their phones. But marketing stunts are a double-edged sword. They signal both the arrival of a trend into the mainstream—and perhaps the beginning of its decline.

Light and Decor: A How-To Guide for Window Treatments for Your Home

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:22:25 +0000

Controlling the light coming into your home or adding a bit of design to the room is possible when you add the right window treatments. But how do you know what to pick? There are […]

The post Light and Decor: A How-To Guide for Window Treatments for Your Home appeared first on Architecture Art Designs.

Don’t Get Left in the Cold: Critical Furnace Repairs to Sustain Home Comfort and Warmth

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:11:03 +0000

As the chill of winter sets in, the warmth and comfort of home become paramount. And at the heart of this cozy sanctuary lies your furnace, silently working to maintain the perfect temperature. However, like […]

The post Don’t Get Left in the Cold: Critical Furnace Repairs to Sustain Home Comfort and Warmth appeared first on Architecture Art Designs.

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This Playful Modernist Home Is A Masterclass In Retro Restoration

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:00:50 +0000

This Playful Modernist Home Is A Masterclass In Retro Restoration

Architecture

by Christina Karras

Stafford Heights Modern is a restoration and renovation of a 1960s home.

The original high set chamfer board house has been reimagined with retro details.

Stacked over the original garage, the second floor now features an extended balcony and new dining space.

The living room.

Owner Lisa and her dog Nala love how natural light and breeze flows throughout the floorplan.

The house was mostly painted white to highlight the natural surrounds.

Abet Laminati ‘860 SEI’ was used to create a new yellow laminate benchtop.

A look at the house before the renovation!

Eight years after purchasing an old 1960s home, owner Lisa decided it was time to bring some retro magic back to the Brisbane property.

The house had some character already, but it was being overshadowed by a long list of maintenance issues — including electrical issues, plumbing problems, chipping paint, alongside new roofing, and improved waterproofing — which is why Lisa engaged the help of Paul Butterworth Architect to salvage the existing building.

And it’s a good thing she did. Under Paul’s guidance, the house has not only been saved from deteriorating, but improved for the years to come.

‘Most of the existing home was retained,’ Paul says. The house was painted inside and outside, the floors sanded, the existing roof was replaced, and the living area was extended to accommodate a larger dining space.

A key focus of the renovation was restoring the facade. The new entry mid-century-inspired terrace sets the tone for the resulting house with a breezeblock screen and V-shaped steel beams that mimic the geometric blue triangles now painted onto the ground-floor garage.

‘The new design is playful to reflect Lisa’s enthusiasm and passion for mid-century design,’ Paul says. ‘She referenced the Rose Seidler House north of Sydney designed by Harry Seidler, the El Dorado Motel from the Gold Coast (now demolished) and the mid-century modern homes that she had seen during her visit to Palm Springs, California’ Paul adds.

Lisa’s brief also asked to inject ‘fun and interesting’ colours into the design, and her favourite colour of yellow inspired a series of bold details in varying hues. The front door is now painted a playful chartreuse and there’s a matching-coloured square among the white-framed windows on the second-floor exterior.

Inside, the tired kitchen benchtop was swapped out for a ‘zingy’ yellow laminate, while retaining the original ‘60s floating island and charming joinery.

They even commissioned local artist Drapl to create a brilliant abstract mural on the expansive balcony that now serves as an indoor-outdoor hub of the home — making the most of its outlook across Moreton Bay, sea breezes, and Brisbane’s ‘sublime sub-tropical climate’.

‘The design has captured fantastic views which connect internal living spaces with the Brisbane landscape,’ Paul adds. He’s hopeful that the project’s success stands as a reminder of the inherent value of restoring these old homes.

‘They are a legacy for memory and a testament to the people that built them & the families that were born & raised in them,’ he says. ‘Even if the owner’s budget was enough to demolish the existing home & rebuild something new, we would not have done it.’

‘Lisa didn’t know how to ‘fix’ her home, but we helped curate her initiative into an outcome that fulfills her needs and enriches her lifestyle. The opportunities to create interesting outcomes for existing homes and homeowners are endless, we just need to ask the right questions.’

Post-strikes and ‘Barbenheimer’: What’s in store for Hollywood this summer movie season?

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000

“Barbenheimer” is a hard act to follow. But as Hollywood enters another summer movie season, armed with fewer superheroes and a landscape vastly altered by the strikes, it’s worth remembering the classic William Goldman quote about what works: “Nobody knows anything.”

Four decades later, that still may be true. Yet one thing Hollywood has learned in releasing films through the pandemic and the strikes is how to pivot quickly.

The summer of 2023 brought a new enthusiasm for moviegoing, with the fortuitous counterprogramming of “Barbie” and ” Oppenheimer,” and surprise hits like ” Sound of Freedom,” helping the season’s box office crack $4 billion for the first time since 2019. But before the industry could take a victory lap, there was another crisis looming with the dual Hollywood strikes, which shuttered most productions for months.

Movies find a way post-strike

In the fallout, theaters lost big summer titles like “Mission: Impossible 8,” “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” to 2025. But they gained a gem in Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (June 21), about a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club, as studios moved films around on the summer chessboard. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” once set to kick off the summer moviegoing season on May 3 like many Marvel movies before it, is now sitting happily on July 26, patiently waiting to dominate the summer charts.

“I do love being right there in the belly of summer,” said director Shawn Levy. “That’s a juicy moment.”

The kickoff weekend instead belongs to an original film about a different kind of superhero. ” The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is part romantic-comedy, part action-comedy, and all love letter to the stunt performers that make movies spectacular. It’s an earnest crowd-pleaser that could jumpstart a season that feels, in some ways, like a throwback, with full-throttle spectacles (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Twisters”), comedies (“Babes”), IMAX wonder (“The Blue Angels”) and even a Kevin Costner Western.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has seen the highs and lows of summer movies over the decades, with blockbusters including ” Top Gun: Maverick ” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

This season, he has three very different offerings on the calendar, two are fourth installments in popular franchises — “Beverly Hills Cop” (July 3, Netflix) and “Bad Boys” (June 7, theaters) — and one was planned for streaming but tested so well that it’s getting a theatrical rollout (“Young Woman and the Sea,” May 31).

“People just want to be entertained,” Bruckheimer said. “It really comes down to us to make the right movies that they want to go see.”

The $4 billion goal post

A Hollywood summer lasts 123 days from the first Friday in May through Labor Day Monday in September. Pre-pandemic, $4 billion was a normal summer intake and theaters could count on anywhere between 37 and 42 films to open on over 2,000 screens. The outlier was 2017, which had only 35 movies on over 2,000 screens and topped out at $3.8 billion. It makes last summer’s $4 billion haul with 32 wide releases (45% of the $9 billion domestic haul) even more impressive.

This summer should have 32 wide releases as well and over 40 movies opening in 500+ theaters. Notably only two of them are Marvel movies (“Deadpool” and Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter”) and are the only superhero movies on the calendar until the “Joker” sequel in the fall.

“People are going to see movies, not box office, and it looks like a really solid summer from a moviegoer’s perspective,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

Revving up for orginals

“The Bikeriders” was one that planned for an awards season rollout, with a turbo boost from stellar reviews out of the Telluride Film Festival hailing star turns for Austin Butler and Jodie Comer. But as they inched closer to its release date it became clear that the strikes were not going to resolve in time for a press tour.

“It was kind of like walking on frozen glass for three months,” Nichols said. “I was touring around doing press and trying to build this energy on my own. Let me tell you, it’s not the same as Austin Butler.”

Later in June, after a splashy Cannes debut, Kevin Costner will begin rolling out his two-part Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga,” set during the Civil War. And as always there are a slew of Sundance breakouts peppered throughout the summer, from Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow” and “Didi” to ” Thelma ” and “Good One.”

Fare for the whole family

Family films often go into hyperdrive in the summer, capitalizing on long days out of school. This year has plenty, like “The Garfield Movie” and “Despicable Me 4,” re-releases of Studio Ghibli classics, and streaming options (“Thelma the Unicorn”). But perhaps none has more anticipation behind it than “Inside Out 2” (June 14, theaters), which meets up with Riley as she enters her teenage years as a new group of emotions crash Joy’s party, including Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment.

“That age gives us everything we need and love for a Pixar film,” director Kelsey Mann said. “It’s full of drama, it has potential for a lot of heart, and I could also make it really funny.”

John Krasinski is also delving into the inner world of children with his ambitious live-action hybrid “IF” (May 17, theaters) about the imaginary friends that get left behind and two humans (Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming) who can still see them.

The allure of horror

Audiences seeking the adrenaline rush of horrors and thrillers have plenty of choices, including “MaXXXine,” the conclusion to Ti West’s accidental Mia Goth trilogy (“X” and ” Pearl “) that debuts around the fourth of July.

Goth’s aspiring actress has made her way to Hollywood where a killer is stalking Hollywood starlets around the time of the home video boom of the 1980s.

“We recreated the sleazy side of Hollywood in a hopefully charming way,” West said. “It’s definitely a pretty wild night at the movies. A big, rockin’, fun movie.”

On June 26, audiences can also delve into the beginnings of “A Quiet Place” with a prequel set on “Day One” starring Luptia Nyong’o and “Stranger Things'” Joseph Quinn. Director Michael Sarnoski said they wanted to explore the “scope and promise” of a Quiet Place movie in New York. Later, Fede Álvarez brings his horror acumen to “Alien: Romulus” (Aug. 16), set between the first two.

M. Night Shyamalan is back as well with a thriller set at a pop concert (“Trap,” Aug. 9) and his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, makes her directorial debut with the spooky, Ireland-set “The Watchers” (June 14) with Dakota Fanning.

“It’s very suspenseful and unexpected,” Ishana said. “And it’s very much built for the experience of being in a theater.”

The stars are streaming

Much to the chagrin of theater owners, big summer movies have also existed off the big screen for years now. And the streamers have movie stars and spectacle with the festival favorite “Hit Man,” the Anne Hathaway romance “The Idea of You,” Jerry Seinfeld’s starry pop-tart movie “Unfrosted” and a Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry action comedy “The Union.”

They have franchises too: “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (July 3) was a movie that was in and out of development since the mid-1990s, but got new life when Paramount licensed the rights to Netflix.

“We raised our hand to make sure we got the franchise right and kept the integrity and fun of the original,” Bruckheimer said.

This installment adds an emotional component in which Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley reunites with his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige). It also sees the return of Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot and adds Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

On Aug. 9, Apple TV+ will also have “The Instigators,” a new action-comedy starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as normal guys attempting a heist. “Midnight Run” was one of their touchstones.

“The script was so funny and I wanted to really embrace that,” Doug Liman, who directed, said.

But also, nobody knows anything

Remember, anything can happen with summer movies.

We can pretend we knew that “Barbie” would be the biggest movie of the year, but would anyone have bet that an R-rated drama about the father of the atomic bomb would have made almost three times as much as Harrison Ford’s last ride as Indiana Jones? Or that a $14 million crowdfunded movie from a new studio about child trafficking with next to zero promotion would earn over $250 million?

“Nobody knows anything is right,” said “The Instigators” producer Kevin Walsh. “The movie business is so unpredictable. You never know what’s going to work and what isn’t. But you have your taste. And following your taste and your instincts in this business is paramount.”

—Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press film writer

If You're Not Using This $35 Organizer to Store Bedsheets, You're Doing It Wrong

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:45:00 +0000

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Elon Musk’s Tesla earnings call has become a cultural event

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture.

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk attracts as much attention as any CEO in memory. The latest example: this week’s Tesla earnings call, an obligatory event that at times seemed to be anticipated as a borderline cultural happening.

Of course, a public company with a whopping market cap like Tesla’s will draw plenty of investor interest in its latest numbers. Of course, there were the usual preview roundups from financial media like CNBC and DealBook, offering urgent speculation about what Tesla management might have to say in its Tuesday earnings release and after-the-close conference call. Outlets including Axios were part of the pack, too; Business Insider stood out by publishing “live updates” throughout the day, turning every analyst preview note into its own news item, then live-blogging the call itself. And while no one seems to track and provide conference call audience stats (yet), the listenership on an official call stream on YouTube was well over 40,000 during the broadcast (and has since topped 200,000 listens).

Admittedly, that’s nowhere near the number of people who listened to The Tortured Poets Department right after its midnight drop. But at the very least, it suggests an audience beyond analysts, institutional investors, and journalists, and others who are professionally obligated to sit through earnings calls. Is this just standard Musk mania, or indicative of some broader shift toward treating earnings calls, of all things, like some kind of borderline, FOMO-driven quasi-entertainment?

There are plenty of Musk- and especially Tesla-specific factors. Heading into the call, Tesla shares had been hammered—down 40% for the year—particularly after the company disclosed disappointing sales among other bad news, ranging from layoffs to a Cybertruck recall, all threatening its “Magnificent Seven” status as one of tech’s most valuable and fast-growing stocks. This was likely exacerbated by Tesla’s popularity with retail investors: Individual investors have bought close to $6 billion in TSLA stock this year alone, and their share of its total trading volume is more than double that of other big tech firms including Microsoft and Nvidia, according to the Wall Street Journal. It’s also one of the most heavily shorted stocks, adding to the scrutiny.

And then, there’s Musk himself. While investors and others could (and did) extensively debate and deconstruct Tesla’s quarterly numbers on X, Reddit, and elsewhere, when they were released hours before the investor call, actual live Musk commentary is its own thing. Would he tell some perceived enemies to go F themselves? Rant about the Delaware courts? Weigh in on presidential politics? Few executives have more options for remarks that could move a share price, and probably none are more willing to do so.

But this isn’t just a Musk thing; the broader context of investor culture has changed, too. It’s not quite a replay of the 1990s, when it was briefly fashionable to be conversant in certain ticker symbols, mutual funds, and the names of CNBC hosts. The new version of pop market interest—driven by factors like the rise of Robinhood and the birth of meme stocks—feels both more intense and cult-ier. The conference call, itself now thoroughly democratized by online availability to all, not just Wall Street insiders, becomes both a can’t-miss for edge-seeking investors, and a rare moment of shared, almost communal, focus. Like a midnight album drop, it’s for the hard core.

And like much of Internet-driven culture, it often attracts attention for seeming to have attracted attention. As expected, Tesla’s official numbers confirmed drops in revenue and profits, and said deliveries were likely to be “notably lower” this year. But in the after-close call on Tuesday evening, Musk did not say anything truly crazy: Sounding subdued, almost drowsy, he promised that new models were on the way and emphasized Tesla’s commitment to autonomous vehicles.

That said, some of his suggested timelines—for a more affordable model (early 2025 or even this year), and next year for selling autonomous humanoid robots—seemed aggressive. And there was a reference to Tesla solving the autonomy puzzle “even if I’m kidnapped by aliens,” but that was pretty tame by his standards. Yet, to underscore the latter point, he added: “If somebody doesn’t believe Tesla is going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company.” Later, he compared Tesla’s AI efforts to Amazon’s development of its cash-cow Web Services business.

Tesla’s share prices bumped up in after-hours trading, and were up around 10% in midday trading Wednesday. Apparently investors liked what they heard. I guess you had to be there.

Wearable Speaker Designs Continue to Evolve

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:28:07 +0000

At first glance, wearable speakers are a strange bit of kit. When Bose released their Soundwear Companion in 2017, I couldn't see the use case. But as I age it becomes more obvious. I frequently use captions while watching shows or movies, as I have a difficult time making out the dialogue, particularly if it's sci-fi with technical language. There are also times when I'm doing multi-room tasks, would like to listen to a podcast, but cannot wear headphones as I need to keep an ear out for animal care reasons. With full hands, carrying a Bluetooth speaker becomes inconvenient.

There must not have been enough old people paying attention; Bose quickly bailed out of the wearable speaker market, quietly axing the Soundwear Companion in 2020. No reason was provided, so we can assume poor sales/weak demand. Competitor Sony, however, who released a Japanese-market wearable speaker in 2017 and brought it to the U.S. a couple years later, has remained in the space. (On its U.S. debut, Engadget called the speaker's form factor "baffling.")

Sony's original SRS-WS1, shown above, evolved into the slimmed-down SRS-NB10, shown below:

The trend in tech is for things to get smaller and lighter. However, Sony's seen a gap in the market—essentially, the use case I described in the first paragraph—and has now scaled the wearable speaker up, with their forthcoming Bravia Theater U Wearable TV Speaker.

"Never again struggle to hear dialogue," they write. "Our X-Balanced Speaker Unit enhances movies and dramas with cinema-quality audio so every word spoken by the actors is clear and precise. [The speaker] increases sound pressure and reduces distortion for clear dialogue."

Whereas the slim SRS-NB10 weighs 113g (3.9 oz), the Bravia model is plumper and weighs 268g (9.45oz). That's because they've added surround sound tech, claiming the device offers "personalized home theater sound."

There's a flexible component connecting the two speakers. The company claims the design is comfortable to wear for long stretches, that "they'll stay in place, even when you lean back and relax" and that the battery's good for 12 hours on normal volume.

It can be paired with multiple devices, so you could hit pause while watching a show and switch to taking a phone call.

What I'm most curious about is how the sphere of sound it supposedly creates sounds to others nearby; the company says you can "Play movies at high volume without having to worry about disturbing sleeping partners or kids." We'll have to wait for reviews to see.

At press time Sony hadn't named a release date, just a price: $300.

Stunning Furniture Designs by Brodie Neill

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:44:09 +0000

These stunning furniture pieces are by Australian furniture designer/builder Brodie Neill (who did that ReCoil table we looked at earlier). First off, this Bonsai shelving unit was commissioned by a client. It's made of bronze and hollow:

The Atmos desk is "formed from a single surface of infinitely recyclable stainless steel," and was produced in a batch of eight units:

The E-Turn bench is also made of stainless steel:

As for more humble materials, Neill's Latitude bench is made of pine dowels:

If you're wondering about the sharp materials departure for the last piece, it was a challenge put to Neill by a client. "When asked to re-envisage pine dowels into a new design," Neill explains, "my first instinct was to completely shift the perception of these linear elements by building volume through repetition.?"?

"Reminiscent of traditional Japanese bamboo constructions where linear elements are bound together to create seemingly simple scaffolding-like structures, my Latitude bench sought to lay bare its structural integrity of 422 interlaced pine dowels, in a practical yet innovative craft-led response.?"

Neill's posted a mini-build-video of the Latitude:

A Deep Portfolio of Insane Chair Designs

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:02:16 +0000

Muddycap is the handle of an anonymous artist/designer whose bio reads "I make chairs and shits." His Instagram is a deep portfolio of insane chair designs. (Most appear to be renderings, though he can be seen making models in some shots and occasionally shows IRL full-size builds.)

The sheer amount of work is impressive, with multiple new designs being posted each week. Come for the Postmodern rocker, stay for the crying Spongebob's cousin chair.

Tons more to see here.

Furniture Made from Aluminum Extrusions

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:42:00 +0000

Korean artist/designer Oneseo Choi must have a steady supply of castoff aluminum extrusions. His "Pattern of Industry" series uses them to make furniture:

Because Choi is branded both an artist and designer, it's a little trickier to evaluate the work. If it's art, it's essentially beyond reproach from this blog. If it's design, from a cost perspective the material choice doesn't make sense, unless the extrusions are surplus (or unless it targets the luxury market, where nothing is meant to make sense).

In any case, the series has proved to be wildly popular. As seen below, Choi has won over a half-dozen commissions to populate coffee shops, department stores, offices, corporate lobbies, model houses for real estate developers, and even Adidas' flagship store in Seoul with pieces from the series.

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Post-strikes and ‘Barbenheimer’: What’s in store for Hollywood this summer movie season?

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